18 BJP MLAs urge Speaker to withdraw their suspension

Bengaluru: The 18 BJP MLAs on Wednesday claimed that Speaker U T Khader’s decision to suspend them from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for six months is a “violation of rules” and “not in accordance with law”, as they urged him to reconsider and withdraw their suspension. Pointing out that MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly were suspended in a similar fashion—a move the Supreme Court ruled “irrational and illogical”, the MLAs said they would petition the Speaker to reconsider and withdraw the suspension using the powers vested in him, instead of approaching the court. In an unprecedented move, 18 BJP MLAs were suspended on March 21 for six months for “indiscipline” and “disrespecting” the Speaker.

They were forcefully evicted from the House by marshals after refusing to leave. “We discussed the Speaker’s decision to suspend 18 BJP MLAs from the Assembly and how to resolve this issue. We have been suspended under Rule 348 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, which allows naming and warning a member, or suspending them for a day, or up to the end of the ongoing session,” BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan said.



Speaking to reporters, flanked by other MLAs, he said, “Suspending MLAs for six months violates the rules and is not in accordance with law, as Rule 348 does not permit it.” Referring to a similar case in Maharashtra, Narayan—former Deputy Chief Minister—said that under Rule 53 of the Maharashtra Assembly, 12 MLAs were suspended for a year, despite the rule allowing suspension only till the end of the session. The legislators appealed in the Supreme Court, which termed the suspension “irrational and illogical,” and it was subsequently withdrawn.

He added that Maharashtra’s Rule 53 is the same as Karnataka’s Rule 348. Urging Speaker Khader to reconsider and withdraw the suspension, Narayan said, “We could have approached the court and got the suspension quashed, but we chose not to, as we believe what happens in the House should be resolved in the House.” “When the Speaker has the power to withdraw the suspension, we felt we should urge him to do so rather than seek legal remedy,” he added.

The incident that led to the suspension occurred on the last day of the Assembly’s budget session, after BJP MLAs staged a massive protest. They opposed the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts and demanded a judicial probe into the alleged “honey-trap” attempt involving Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna. During the protest, some BJP MLAs climbed onto the Speaker’s podium and surrounded his chair, while others, protesting from the well of the House, hurled papers at him.

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